The Luxury Group by Marriott International, with an unrivaled portfolio of eight hotel brands including The Ritz-Carlton, Ritz-Carlton Reserve, Bvlgari Hotels & Resorts, St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, EDITION, The Luxury Collection, JW Marriott, and W Hotels, today announces Luxury Group Dining Series, a multi-city regional dining series commencing from September to November featuring six handpicked hotels including The Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo, The St. Regis Bali, The Ritz-Carlton, Melbourne, The Athenee Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Bangkok, The St. Regis Mumbai, and JW Marriott Hotel Singapore South Beach.
The flamboyance of pink flamingoes filing along Aruba’s beautiful Flamingo Beach on the Renaissance Private Island is both comical and beautiful. This is the only place on Aruba you will find these long-legged birds and it’s a scene that leaves everyone smiling and Instagrammers all agog with joy.
Flamingoes on The Island, Aruba c. frugal-flyer
The way to enjoy it for free is to stay at one of the two hotels that make up the Rennaissance Wind Creek Resort that sprawls over 40 acres. Oceans Suites, a family-friendly offering and Marina, adults only hotel, are located on opposite sides of the marina in downtown Oranjestad. There is a shuttle that runs back and forth between both hotels and all facilities can be used by residents of both hotels.
Who for
Renaissance Ocean Suites and its two huge pools are ideal for families. Those who want something more romantic without the distraction of kids should head for the Rennaissance adult-only Marina Hotel.
Accommodation
There are around 600 rooms across the two hotels. At Renaissance Ocean Suites, rooms are aparthotel style with a double room with a TV, an ensuite shower, a kitchenette, a living room with a pull-out sofa, a TV, coffee and tea facilities, and a balcony. This is the view over the pools from my room 2415.
Rooms at the Marina are standard rooms in creamy hues and wood decor, with king size beds or two doubles, with all mod cons and are a bit more luxurious.
Food
Renaissance Ocean Suites has Fresco restaurant by the pool that serves a buffet and a la carte breakfast and a lunch menu. The poolside Solé restaurant offers hearty snacks. At Marina Hotel you can enjoy buffet style and a la carte Arubian cuisine at Aquarius restaurant and a top-notch steak dinner at LG Smith’s Steakhouse.
On Renaissance Island, there are two restaurants The Mangrove Beach Bar and Papagayo Bar and Grill offer several lunch and drink options.
A few steps away from Renaissance Ocean Suites is The Marketplace which comprises a melee of restaurants including a Dutch pancake house that always has queues.
Facilities
The Marina Hotel is adults-only and has a quiet infinity pool overlooking a road by the marina where the cruise ships come in. There’s also a fitness centre and the Okeanos Spa.
Renaissance Ocean Suites has two vibrant pools overlooking the sea one with a swim-up bar and in-pool lounge chairs. There’s also a sandy lagoon with a view over the sea and gives a lovely beach vibe. For kid’s there more entertainment at the Patamingo Kids Club
The highlight is Renaissance Island made up of adult-only Flamingo Beach and family-friendly Iguana Beach. A high-speed boat shuttles between the island and the hotels. The lovely private beach comes with free sunbeds and straw sunshades.
A handful of non-residents can use this too. Day-passes cost $125 USD per person (which includes one cocktail and lunch at Papagayo’s) but are hard to come by.
There are five Cabanas to rent ($475 a day). That includes some soft drinks, snorkel masks, a couple of floats a bottle of Champagne, fruit and a server who will bring food to your canbana. It seems a hefty price tag but shared between five friends seems manageable.
For those who like a flutter, Marina has its own casino, and Oceans View has a small one a few yards away.
How much:
PACKAGE: TUI offers 7 day package holidays from the UK from £1467pp (Bed & Breakfast).
Find out more here.
Although this resort does not have a beach view it is steps away shopping area both high-end (Louis Vuiton, Chanel etc) and souvenirs. Marina Hotel is attached to the high-end mall.
The high point is to be able to walk along the marina and explore the capital Oranjestad, visit the Butterfly Farm or hike through Arikok National Park. This island is only 20 miles long so nowhere is too far. Check out our Guide to Aruba.
Verdict: Renaissance Wind Creek Aruba resort with its perk of free access to the “island” and a plethora of facilities in downtown Oranjestad hits the spot.
I invariably choose the window seat on a flight to enjoy the approach of land during the descent. Yet on a recent flight to Aruba, I felt cheated. This tiny Dutch country is 20 miles long and eight miles wide, and most of what I could see was a peek-a-boo dance of the coastline but mostly the vast South Caribbean Sea that surrounds this smudge of land in turquoise blue. Its closest neighbours are Curaçao and Venezuela 50 and 18 miles away respectively.
It all came right though once on land. It has glorious white sandy beaches that some say are better than those in the Caribbean, a cruise terminal close to the Wind Creek Marina where iguanas flit around the water’s edge and pelicans flirt with fishermen hoping for a fishy treat.
Aruba became autonomous of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the 1980s. Initially, the oil factories were the source of income but when they closed the government turned to tourism heavily marketing its sandy wares, hot sunny days, and the glorious breeze that tempers the heat and scuppers mosquitoes. Holidaymakers flocked as quickly as the resorts and timeshares appeared.
Aruba’s defining feature is the easy vibe. Aruba has a population of 110,000, a mash-up of 110 nationalities, all Dutch citizens. They are as warm as Aruba’s 365 days of sunshine and welcoming tourists is encouraged at school.
Paula Ochoa from Aruba Tourism told me “We are taught Dutch, English, Spanish and the local dialect Papiamento from nursery so that we can communicate with tourists and holidaymakers.”
Aruba has earned the moniker – One Happy Island. For many, it’s the beaches, the best being Palm, Eagle and Baby Beach yet there is a host of charming and adventurous activities to do when you can tear away from the beach.
A tour of Oranjestad, the capital of Aruba
On the southwestern coast of Aruba is its compact capital, Oranjestad (Orange City) named after King William I of the Netherlands. It is bright and colourful with colonial architecture dressed in pastel hues and quaint churches of various denominations acting as landmarks.
Sights and shopping are mainly by the marina, especially on L.G. Smith Boulevard. Nearby is 18th-century Fort Zoutman and the Willem III Tower, formerly a lighthouse, the Historical Museum and the Archaeological Museum displays.
Every so often a Blue Horse statue appears, an installation of eight created by Aruban artist Osaira Muyale. They represent strength, nobility, grace, beauty and freedom and talk of the collaboration in the 1700s during Aruba’s horse trading industry. The story goes that the first horses jumped from the ship deck into the Caribbean Ocean to Aruban Bay ‘Paardenbaai “ – Horse Bay.
Bushiribana Gold Mill Ruins
This pile of gabrro stones is what is left of the sea facing Bushiribana Gold Mill Ruins built by the Aruba Island Gold Mining Company in 1873 on the rugged northern shore of Aruba. It stands as a monument to the gold rush of the 19th century. It is fun to climb and enjoy the ocean view from the top. It is also the meeting point for horse and jeep tours so if you are on one of those you will get to see it anyway.
Nearby, is the Natural Bridge created naturally by the lashing of the sea against limestone cliffs. Before it collapsed in 2005 it was the largest. There are others to see including Baby Bridge. Further towards the coast is a new cave pool to explore. A ladder takes you down to the pool and makes for a fresh dip within the cave.
Chill at the Butterfly farm
Perhaps one of the most charming places to visit is the Butterfly Farm. It is close to Palm Beach – you could combine the beach with a delightfully otherworldly experience in a quiet, tropical environment.
Start with a quick edu-tour to learn about the fascinating cycle life of 35,000 butterflies fluttering around and why some are tropical and get their food from the vegetation and others drink from fruit.
Address: Irausquin Blvd, Noord, Aruba
Donkey Sanctuary
Donkey Sanctuary, Aruba
These gentle creatures were not supposed to be in Aruba. The Spanish imported them from Africa in the 1500s to transport people and goods. Then came the car and the donkey was abandoned to roam the streets, often causing chaos on the roads. This donkey sanctuary rounded them up to offer a haven. Here you can mingle with them, feed them and, if your heart calls, even adopt one.
Address: Seroe Alejandro 6, Savaneta
Rum and Wine tasting at Alto Vista
It’s a challenge to grow grapes in Aruba, let alone produce good wine. Yet at Alto Vista Winery, owner David Kock, has done just that in Aruba’s first and only boutique winery. Less than a decade ago he planted seedlings on barren land and grows four types of grapes, two white and two red: a chenin blanc from South Africa, a French Colambard, a syrah and a Spanish tempranillo producing 8,000 bottles per year.
Vineyard, Aruba
It’s a three-minute hike over a track straddled by cactus plants to the vineyard where you can walk amid the vines. There’s also a rum distillery, a quaint yellow-painted building amid a field of sugar cane plantation. This is where they extract sugar cane juice, distil, ferment it and finally age it in former Jack Daniels whisky barrels to produce Red Star Rum. You get to taste this in their “tasting loft” neat, or as a cocktail.
The climax is an entertaining wine and cheese tasting in a room with floor-to-ceiling windows so you can enjoy the view while sommelier Hubert educates your palate.
Address: Alto Vista ZN, Oranjestad, Aruba
Murals of San Nicolas
There is a burgeoning art scene in Aruba, including 75 murals in San Nicolas. This former red light district has been transformed by pioneer Tito Bolivar, a man inspired by murals in Colombia. Within a few years San Nicolas has become a world-famous Art District.
Street art, San Nicolas
Street art, San Nicolas
Street art, San Nicolas
Street art, San Nicolas
Street Art, San Nicolas
Tito invited artists from Portugal, Spain, The Netherlands, Aruba, Curacao, the Czech Republic, Argentina, Mexico, Chile, Brazil, and Greece who created a cultural show through art. Get there in September 6-8 for the Aruba Art Fair, or throughout the rest of the year, you can join a 2-hour tour of these incredible murals and visit the gallery SPACE21.art.
Aruba’s number one export product is Aloe Vera. Aruba’s desert-like environment intensifies the aloe plant’s natural healing qualities and produces the earth’s most potent Aloe Vera Gel. Aruba Aloe is one of the few Aloe companies in the world, that grows, harvests, and processes its own Aloe on-site. They have workshops so you can make your own aloe vera scrub. It’s fun to extract this sticky, jelly-like substance from its fish-shaped leaf and to add coconut, sugar and chocolate to take away.
Address Pitastraat 115, Aruba
Arikok National Park
Arikok National Park, named after its second tallest hill, Arikok (185m (606ft) was formed by volcanic activity and eroding limestone.
It is 7,900 acres of incredible natural landscape and makes up 20 per cent of the island so why not visit? Grab your walking shoes for the rough terrain and explore the caves especially the dual-chambered Quadirikiri Cave, and a swimming costume for a dip in the natural pool. Of course, you can visit independently, but best to join a jeep tour and let someone else deal with the bumpy driving.
Sail on a catamaran cruise
If watching a sunset while on the water captures your imagination, then a tour on The Pelican catamaran will give that to you. It’s great for all the family and includes snacks and an open bar. Or sail during the day and for an opportunity to snorkel and visit the Antilla World War II shipwreck.
There are direct flights from all over North America to Aruba’s Queen Beatrix International Airport. British Airways has recently started a direct flight from London Heathrow to Aruba.
PACKAGE: TUI offers package holidays from the UK from £1467pp (Bed & Breakfast). Find out more here.
Shutterbug readers are always enthusiastic about Julieanne Kost’s post-processing tutorials because of her vast knowledge of all things Adobe and her uncommon knack for simplifying seemingly complicated concepts and tasks. In the next four minutes she demonstrates a foolproof method for enhancing images with Lightroom’s Presence Sliders.
Today’s episode introduces a streamlined technique for harnessing the power of Lightroom’s Texture, Clarity, and Dehaze tools without any complications. As Kost says, “all three of these sliders add contrast to an image, but they do it in very different ways.” So the trick is understanding when and how to use the right tool for the job.
Kost’s demonstration photo of a polar bear looking toward the camera is nicely composed but looks a bit flat, and she begins the rehabilitation process by zooming in and giving the Texture slider a try. This tool looks for edges, and when it finds them it will either increase or decrease Contrast of these edge depending upon the direction you move the slider. In either case, the image will still retain small details.
When taking this approach, the effect is achieved along a very small radius of pixels. Kost illustrates this important fact by looking at Lightroom’s Histogram as she moves the Texture slider back and forth to boost or reduce the effect.
The Clarity slider also looks for edges in an image and will increase or decrease Contrast in the edge, but when it applies the effect it does so to a broader range of pixels than you just saw with the Texture Slider. Because the Clarity effect is spread out over a wider area it creates a softer transition. Another thing to keep in mind when this employing tool is that “it affects the midtones of an image more so than the highlight and shadow areas.”
Another point of differentiation is that Clarity also affects Luminance and Saturation much more than the Texture slider. Now when you look at her Histogram it’s clear that the adjustments are far more pronounced. This is why you want to use this particular slider with caution and avoid taking things too far.
Kost explains that Lightroom’s Dehaze technology is based upon a physical model of how light is transmitted, and “it tries to estimate light that is lost due to absorption and scattering through the atmosphere.” So moving the slider to the left will decrease the amount of Dehaze—making the image appear as though it has more atmospheric perspective.
Thus, colors will be less saturated and detail rendition will take a step back. Moving this slider to the right does the opposite as though you’re cutting through the haze. Once again, Lightroom’s versatile Histogram provides the proof of the pudding. So here’s the takeaway: all three sliders have their place and it’s simply a matter of knowing which to use when.
Kost’s instructional YouTube channel is a great source of information for Lightroom and Photoshop users, so be sure to take a look and elevate your editing skills.
This pile of gabrro stones is what is left of the sea facing Bushiribana Gold Mill Ruins built by the Aruba Island Gold Mining Company in 1873 on the rugged northern shore of Aruba. It stands as a monument to the gold rush of the 19th century. It is fun to climb and enjoy the ocean view from the top. It is also the meeting point for horse and jeep tours so if you are on one of those you will get to see it anyway.
